If adventures will not befall a young lady in her own village, she must seek them abroad.
Northanger Abbey is an endearing novel. The assertion of women’s rationality is made visible through depiction of the decision of the stupidity of women. I have always found Austen’s works to be feminist works in disguise that many misinterpret as conventional submissive women narration. We have Catherine Morland, the protagonist of Northanger Abbey, who is an ordinary woman is depicted by Austen as a heroine. But she is not the typical heroine, which Austen, projects the rejection of female conformity.
Oh! I am delighted with the book! I should like to spend my whole life in reading it.
Catherine Morland goes to Bath with her neighbour Aunty and uncle , Mr and Mrs Allen. She meets Mr Tilney who she falls in love with. Me Morland also made close friendship with Isabella Thorpe. A coming-of-age story of Ms Morland, Northanger Abbey is divided into two sections. The first sections is about Catherine staying with the Allens and in section Catherine moves to Northanger Abbey with the Tilneys. Her love for Gothic novels entertains herself into imagining Northanger Abbey into one of the haunted ruins of one of her Gothic novels. But she finds the Abbey quite dull and lack of adventure. Mr Tilneys presence make it all th more bearable. Austen focuses on love and matrimony with the main character’s interest in reading books.
The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.
Catherine uses her understanding and love of Gothic novels and books to read the people that surround her like she reads the characters in her books. While staying at Northanger Abbey, she gets herself into several Gothic plots in her mind. She makes her rural life interesting by using the magic that reading books give. She turned her simple life into an enchanted life. This novel is a perfect example of understanding reality through the use of fictional books. It is an Austen way of coping with the disorientation of the real world.
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